Multicolor electrophotographic print engine

Abstract

A method and system for printing image documents using a variety of toners where some toners using a multi-development station having two or more development stations. These toners are co-printed prior to fixing, on the receiver by the multi-development station.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application relates to commonly assigned, copending PCT Application Serial No. ______ (Docket No. 95996DPS), filed ______, entitled: “MULTICOLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT ENGINE” and U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Docket No. 96004DPS), filed ______, entitled: “MULTIPASS ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT ENGINE” each hereby incorporated by reference.FIELD OF INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to an electrophotographic print engine. More specifically, this invention describes an apparatus capable of printing images using a multi development station.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]In order to produce a print using electrophotographic means, a primary imaging member, also referred to as a photoreceptor or a photoconductor, is first uniformly charged. An electrostatic latent image is then formed by image-wise exposing the charged using known methods such as an optical exposure system, an LED array, or a laser scanner. The primary imaging m...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent is about a print engine that can print different types of toners, including specialty toners like magnetic toners used by banks for tracking checks. The engine is compact and can print a variety of colors. The specialty toners can enhance color, provide abrasion resistance, or have security features. The engine uses a multi-development station to convert electrostatic images into visible images and transfer them to a receiver. The final print can have multiple toners, making it possible to print using many specialty inks without increasing the size of the print engine.

Problems solved by technology

It is generally not desirable to use a cylindrical primary imaging member as a shared component in multiple electrophotographic modules as the size of such a cylinder would be prohibitively large and expensive.

Also present electrophotographic printers have other limitations.

Thus, colors that contain vivid reds or greens might not be printable.

These regions are referred to as the toe and shoulder, respectively, and are accompanied by a loss of information.

It simply is not possible to differentially deposit varying amounts of toner in these regions to enhance the information.

Another example of the limitation of the present technology is that there are many types of specialty toner required for one print.

Combining all these toners, called specialty toners, into one latent images is not currently possible in one pass since in most electrophotographic print engines, the receiver is in sheet format.

Transporting a sheet through a large number of electrophotographic modules is problematic and can lead to misregistration as well as artifacts such as fuser oil being transported back to a sheet from a transport web.

In addition, these toner particles are often highly charged electrically.

If there are too many toner particles present, such often occurs when multiple layers of toner are present, the electrostatic field used to transfer the toner is screened by the toner charge, thereby reducing the transfer field and impeding transfer.

Thus, it is often difficult to transfer an arbitrarily large number of toner layers, in contrast to the lithographic printing of an arbitrarily large number of offset printed separations.

Finally, the space available for electrophotographic print engines is generally much more restricted than that available for offset presses.

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